Editor’s Note: Preserving and admiring the sheer ingenuity of fired brickwork, this apparel store holds within the bequest of generational artistry and design values. A seamless rumination of brass, singularity of material, and the curvilinear stand of partition marks as a declaration itself while letting the clothing pieces be the star of the creation. ~ Nishal Sevak(Co-Editor)

Mud Matrix, in its essence, is born from an acute devotion to pure materiality and craft honed over countless decades in the Indian subcontinent. Situated in the teeming hub of Ranjit Avenue of Amritsar, Punjab, this store is set against the backdrop of a city that celebrates India’s heritage of lore and art. Imagined for a family hailing from a multi-generational background in the realm of fabric and textile, this store is a modern embodiment of their long-preserved legacy. The venue houses a gamut of contemporary and ethnic Indian wear, strengthening the cause of the Make in India initiative. By extension, The space indulges in a quiet retelling of tradition in the voice of gritty, indigenous materials and design techniques.

This Store is Set Against the Backdrop of a City that Celebrates India’s Heritage of Lore and Art | RENESĀ Architecture Design Interiors Studio

Visit: RENESĀ Architecture Design Interiors Studio

At the outset, the store’s façade at the street level builds an instinctive sense of intrigue, standing veiled in a matrix of fired brickwork. The elevation is intentionally punctuated by an array of wood folding doors infilled with panels of glass and wicker to give it a perception of translucency.

The building’s threshold bears the ability to be completely opened, connecting the inside and outside seamlessly to pose as an integrated whole for intimate soirées and communal gatherings.

The entirety of the store’s volume has been imagined in the rhythmic DNA of bricks, hinting at the aphorism of us coming from the earth, building on it, and humbly returning to it. The bricks crafted in alliance with Jindal Mechno Bricks have been created using mud from the lands of Bikaner in Rajasthan.

Firing the bricks accurately at a specific temperature lends them their distinct coloration, a blend of deeper browns and warm taupe that form the raw, unadorned skin of the space. The modest brick assumes a new lease of life, enveloping most walls, flooring in radiating forms, and structural members to embed movement within the store’s spatial embrace. 

The neutral yet textured appeal of the bricks rightfully draws one’s gaze to the vivid hues of the garments on display. Subliminally, the earthy make of the bricks poses a welcome contrast to the brilliantly detailed pieces of clothing, both reprising the sheer labor of handiwork in their unique ways!

The internal layout of the store is a contiguous one composed of overlapping, curved partitions. The areas ensconced within these partitions pose as interconnected, looped galleries. They house display nodes curated to take patrons on a journey laced with color, texture, and tactility.

This specific design intervention allows the visitors to be led through a curiosity-fuelled trail through the premises, drawing them in to traverse the space and its offerings in immersive totality. Doses of brass, wood, and woven wicker manifest as furniture, lighting, mirrors, and artifacts to layer the store, walking the lines of the past and the present gracefully.

Prioritizing the user-experience, the display systems in brass stud the curved walls, focal pedestals, and stoic internal columns, each made a homogeneous part of the design fabric. Auxiliary spaces like the fitting rooms, backend offices, tailoring workshops, and inventory storage have been inconspicuously tucked into fragments of the floor plan, imbuing the retail experience with an uninterrupted demeanor.

Tactfully planned spot and mood lighting heighten the ambiance, illuminating the merchandise as relics of artisanship. The almost cavernous experience of the store allows the visitors to disconnect from the humdrum of the city, surrendering themselves to the depth of the milieu.

Thinking of its materiality as a tapestry of expression, Zariboota signals the convergence of old and new, fittingly distilling the ethos of the project.

With a robust architectural language surging through the interior environment, the designed elements become unassuming bearers of the store’s roots and endeavors that are indeed timeless in their spirit.

Fact File

Designed by: RENESĀ Architecture Design Interiors Studio

Project Type: Retail Interior Design

Project Name: MUD MATRIX Store

Location: Amritsar, Punjab

Year Built: 2023

Project Size: 2000 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Sanjay Arora

Concept Design Head: Sanchit Arora

Interior Designer And Decor Head: Vandana Arora

Studio Technical Head: Virender Singh

Architect: Janhvi Ambhurkar & Akarsh Varma

Branding: Akshita Jain

Text: Lavanya Chopra

Clients: Mr. Kavish Khurana & Mrs. Shruti Khurana.

Photograph Courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

Source: Archdaily

Firm’s Website Link: RENESĀ Architecture Design Interiors Studio

Firm’s Instagram Link: RENESĀ Architecture Design Interiors Studio

Firm’s Facebook Link: RENESĀ Architecture Design Interiors Studio

For Similar Project >>> A Fashion Brand Store That Celebrates Art In Spirit